$3.95 Service Charge for Room Service starting

[Ocean Boy]

The new late night room service fee is fine by me since I'd never ever order food that late anyway. I think they are doing it to curb all the waistful late night drunken munchie fests. We have never used the room service ever in 6 cruises. Never had a need for it with all the dinning options all over the place on board. Maybe we'll have to try it next time.

 

Sounds like another one of those "if it doesn't affect me I don't care" sort of deals. Don't worry, eventually they will get around to something that does affect you.;)

[kyriecat]

I noticed several people posting about finding something to eat on their own after midnight. That's fine IF you are on a Voyager and larger class ship. I haven't been on one myself, but I've read that they have food available 24-hrs in a couple of areas. The smaller ships haven't had those offerings. Yes, they have the solarium cafe that is open until 1 or 2 AM, but that is only warmed pizza, fries, hot dogs, and hamburgers. I don't want something that heavy late at night. I want a COOKIE - in particular, one with milk or white chocolate or nuts. I have occasionally seen a cookie tray in the solarium, but it never seems to have the good cookies that they serve in WJ. They are always small, hard cookies like Danish shortbread or ginger snaps. They also don't have milk available anywhere late at night. I've tried getting a carton of milk during breakfast to keep in the chiller (those things in the room aren't fridges!) and grabbing a few cookies when they are available in WJ and hiding them so the room steward won't throw them out. However, sometimes I would forget and since I can't get cookies myself onboard after 9 PM, I have to get them through RS if I want one. The RS cookie plate only has 3 chocolate chip cookies that I split with my husband so we're not over-eating or wasting food. My husband can't drink milk so I only order 1 glass so no wasting there. We'd tip $2-$3 which seems reasonable to me for 2 items. If RC would offer good cookies and milk that I could get myself late at night on Vision and Radiance ships then I wouldn't really care about room service. I'd rather get the items myself.

[xpcdoojk]

A nasty cold always makes me a very unpleasant person (not saying that you are unpleasant mind you :D) so that may be the case. And to think that I was blaming it on poor K. :o Does she look like she has the mumps? And did you take pictures?

 

I may play stupid here at CC, but there is no way I am going to take a picture of my lovely DW with bulldog jowels (sp?) that are purple on the bottom, the boy ain't quite that slow. :D

 

jc

[Tranquil Waters]

I may play stupid here at CC, but there is no way I am going to take a picture of my lovely DW with bulldog jowels (sp?) that are purple on the bottom, the boy ain't quite that slow. :D

 

jc

 

I took pictures of DD looking like she had "mumps on steroids" - she did not appreciate my efforts to record history for posterity. :confused: So perhaps you did indeed make a wise decison. :D

[Elizanessie]

RCCL comments on the new Room Service charge-

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2998

[jman_in_minnesota]

Back to some of the eariler posters....I have to aggree. Have been cruising for some time now and cam find a suite for what I used to pay for my SMALL inside 119 sq ft cabin cost. Sure the ships hold extra people but we all use extra services. My last cruise at breakfast one moring, a couple talked of nothing except how they were not going to tip the staff, they would "demand a no charge for poor service" if needed. This was day 3 of a 10 day sailing. Another table mate asked what was so bad, what was not done up to standards. The couple went on to say that they paid for this cruise and they have learned from the 2 before how to get over on the cruise line (RCI). They felt they were charge way too much, so they ate in the dining room demanding quality, later on they went to the buffet and got a full plate just to leave most of it untouch"because it is our right, we paid for this cruise", this was their pattern all day with stops in their cabin to order RS and not even stay there to receive it! Alot more was said before I ended my breakfast and went to the coffee shop where I did not have to listen to anymore. There are alot of people that feel the same way. We read posts from people all the time that don't want ot tip, or complain if there is a wrinkle in there pillow slip. On your next cruise, note all the trays outside doors, in the hallways, that have ALOT of food on them. My friends teen did a cruise journal, taking pics of the trays outside rooms on the 2nd, 5th and 7th nights of the cruise. She went to the bottom deck, the middle and the top passenger decks. All were the same. LOTS of waste. (See got an A on her project)I think the cruise line (others WILL follow, they are like geese and always follow one another) is in their right to begin a charge. I have always tipped room service but just read over this posting and you can get a feel for the many that don't. Just because we are on a ship that looks like the magical "Land of Plenty" does not give any of us the "right" to waste. Maybe, now some will no longer waste as much?

 

if it cuts down on waste, I can roll with the charge

 

however, could I please get room service in a timely manner? getting the food in 1/2 hour or less doesn't seem so unreasonable, does it?

[xpcdoojk]

RCCL comments on the new Room Service charge-

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2998

 

I know it makes me out to be a bad person, but seems extremely reasonable to me.:D

 

jc

[Tranquil Waters]

I know it makes me out to be a bad person, but seems extremely reasonable to me.:D

 

jc

 

It is not your opinions that make you a bad person........ :p

[ShipsInBergen]

RCCL comments on the new Room Service charge-

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2998

 

Thanks Elizanessie! That to me is great news about the solarium cafes on the smaller ships being made 24hrs. Now food is available all night for no charge I can take my pick whether to get a snack there or pay the small $3.95 fee back in my cabin. No problems there :D

[stompy]

I think its a good idea. My guess is that many folks may be confused about the tipping policy for room service (how it is different from the "daily" fee) or there are just too many stiffs up late at night.

 

This has nothing to do with whether or not the servers get tipped. It is all about COST. Mainly staffing the late shift and the cost of food.

[bchalker]

Sounds like another one of those "if it doesn't affect me I don't care" sort of deals. Don't worry, eventually they will get around to something that does affect you.;)

 

And if it cost me a 3.95 tip I wont let it ruin my cruise or come here and cry about it.

[stompy]

Royal Caribbean Comments on Late-Night Room Service FeeRoyal Caribbean has shed some light on its new late-night room service fee that was the talk of the Cruise Critic Message Boards last week. The $3.95 surcharge will be for food items ordered --not delivered -- between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., and will be rolled out on a ship-by-ship basis between January 13 and 23. According to spokesperson Harrison Liu, the charge is intended to minimize food waste onboard; Royal Caribbean definitely wants to keep its in-room dining service as yet another meal option for passengers.

 

The surcharge will be levied per order to any order from the "Light Snacks" in-room dining menu, made between the stated late-night hours (with a five-minute grace period to account for differences in clocks and watches). Beverage-only orders will be exempt from the surcharge. Room service will be complimentary between 5 a.m. and midnight, including all in-room breakfasts served between 7 - 10 a.m. regardless of when you place the order. So feel free to hang the room-service tag outside your door at 1 a.m. -- your morning eggs and toast will not cost you a penny.

 

Of the fee, $1.50 will go to the staff as a gratuity, with the remaining $2.45 going into Royal Caribbean's coffers. If you typically tip your room service delivery-person more than that, you are encouraged to add an additional gratuity when you sign the receipt for your food order -- no need for cash.

 

If you get the munchies past midnight, but don't want to pay the $3.95 fee, Royal Caribbean is making sure all of its ships will have food available 24 hours a day. On Freedom- and Voyager-class ships, the Café Promenade is open 24/7, and serves cookies and finger sandwiches for free. On ships without a Royal Promenade, the opening hours of either the Solarium Café or Sorrento's Pizza will be extended, so food will be served between midnight and 5 a.m.

[bchalker]

I know it makes me out to be a bad person, but seems extremely reasonable to me.:D

 

jc

 

Me too!

[Brad1185]

if it cuts down on waste, I can roll with the charge

 

however, could I please get room service in a timely manner? getting the food in 1/2 hour or less doesn't seem so unreasonable, does it?

 

Sounds like people are only wastful if they order RS. If you go and get it as RCI wants then there is no waste. Let's stop the waste. We will open a dining venue 24/7 and charge for RS. I can picture the RCI decision makers thinking how can we get people to accept this charge. They say I've got it, people nowdays are against waist let's say the charge is to cut down on waist. All the decision makers say that's a fantastic excuse.

[kc320]

Any one care to place any bet's on when this new charge will be implemented on ALL room service orders.... cha-ching..cha-ching.. what next?

[ShipsInBergen]

Sounds like people are only wastful if they order RS. If you go and get it as RCI wants then there is no waste. Let's stop the waste. We will open a dining venue 24/7 and charge for RS. I can picture the RCI decision makers thinking how can we get people to accept this charge. They say I've got it, people nowdays are against waist let's say the charge is to cut down on waist. All the decision makers say that's a fantastic excuse.

 

Was that a deliberate pun?! :)

[Leafpeeper]

If it includes the tip, then no problem--not that I want to eat anything before going to bed.

[marci22]

But you already paid for it, well at least up until now. Nickels and dimes. RCI is starting to figure out what many credit card companies and banks have known for years. Charge a little fee here, a little fee there and nobody will notice. But it all adds up. I for one do not mind paying for a quality product but I absolutely despise being nickled and dimed at every turn. RCI already added an additional charge for a "better steak" in the dining room and now this. So while neither one of those 2 things may affect you its a foot in the door. Once the door is opened (as it is now) it'll be a rainstorm of fees for little things.

 

You'd think the economy was firing on all cylinders. Amazing.

 

Even if I 'already paid for it', I think it's ok to charge for RS, for all 24 hours. RC is saying it will combat waste; I actually believe them. As I have said before, I see lots of uneaten food piled up in the hallways, and it actually bothers me. When they got rid of the midnight buffets, I didn't mind either. There is so much food all day, it is simply not necessary to have a gala buffet at midnight. (btw This is entertainment?:confused: Food cut in weird shapes?:confused: People taking pictures of this food?:confused:)

 

Just because it's 'vacation' does not mean people should abdicate personal responsibility. If it takes $3.95 to make someone think twice, so be it.

 

I'm sure they will institute surcharges for more things, and I guess that's how it has to be in today's world. When it gets too complicated and expensive, I just won't go. If other people feel the same, then obviously they will have trouble running their business, but until then, they might as well try it out.

[GLBT CRUISER]

Seriously, if you've done your due diligence at the food outlets during the day and evening, I can't imagine needing to eat yet agein between 12 & 5. Considering this includes the gratuity, it's not a prohibitive amount. However, that being said, room service is room service. Why make it 'free' part of the day and then charge between 12am & 5am only? IF RCL truly wants another revenue stream charge the $3.95 all day long. It makes as much sense as the 'service charge' at Johnny Rockets....at least an extra service is being rendered with the room service.:eek:

[austinlw]

Heck, we pay more than 3.95 for a drink. If I'm so hungry between 12 and 5 AM (which I never am, because I eat very well at meal times, thank you very much, and I have problems eating just before bedtime) that I am compelled to order room service rather than walk to where the food is, I will happily shell out a few bucks for a nice waiter to bring it to my room. I'd probably just give him a 5 and tell him to keep the change. I am on vacation after all.

[Tranquil Waters]

Heck, we pay more than 3.95 for a drink. If I'm so hungry between 12 and 5 AM (which I never am, because I eat very well at meal times, thank you very much, and I have problems eating just before bedtime) that I am compelled to order room service rather than walk to where the food is, I will happily shell out a few bucks for a nice waiter to bring it to my room. I'd probably just give him a 5 and tell him to keep the change. I am on vacation after all.

 

I think he'll want your seapass card. ;) But if you want to add that 5, I don't think he/she will object. :D

[bplazo]

Well its a shame that the person delivering the food is going to get the shaft. They get to keep $1.50 out of the the $3.95. Probably with the charge added alot of people will just pay that.

[austinlw]

I think he'll want your seapass card. ;) But if you want to add that 5, I don't think he/she will object. :D

 

OK then. :rolleyes: I probably wouldn't add 5. But probably 1 or 2. ;)

[Tranquil Waters]

Well its a shame that the person delivering the food is going to get the shaft. They get to keep $1.50 out of the the $3.95. Probably with the charge added alot of people will just pay that.

 

OK then. :rolleyes: I probably wouldn't add 5. But probably 1 or 2. ;)

 

Kinda proves bplazo's point. The server gets $1.50 from your card and $1 (total $2.50) or $2 (total $3.50) instead of the $5 that you were going to hand him.....

[xpcdoojk]

Of course, TW, when the room full of spring breakers ordered food for their 20 new friends they didn't tip at all. Now the RS employee will make a buck plus! I bet the employees will be happy by the new system. I am guessing that the people posting on these threads that claim to be really generous tippers offering a five spot for their late night indulgences. I am guessing that the typical experience is not combined with equally generous tips. I know that if I pay my dining room waiter $3.50 a day in tips, a person that I will spend a couple of hours with every night, that the typical customer is not going to pay a complete stranger showing up at their room with munchies a $1.50 more than their MDR waiter. I have been reading all of these amazing to me posts claiming that they tip this much, everytime, and I felt a bit guilty, as I typically gave RS (of course this is at 7 to 8 am) a $1 or on my last cruise because I was left with European currency I would give a pound or an euro. Those guys early in the cruise were rocking and rolling making about $2 versus later on when they were only getting a $1.50 (currency exchange being what it is).

 

In other words I don't believe the majority of RS users are typically tipping $5 at 3am.... Sorry, not buying that.:D Further most people know that there is no tip required to be given to room service any more than there is a requirement to tip the waiters or room stewards.

 

jc